Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

Wayanad, Jun 28: In a grim development, police recovered the decomposed body of 53-year-old Hemachandran, a Kerala resident who had been missing for over 15 months, from a forested area on the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border.

Hemachandran disappeared on March 20 last year after receiving a phone call from a woman. His wife filed a missing person complaint with the Kozhikode Medical College police on April 1, prompting an extended investigation.

Following analysis of phone records and financial dealings linked to Hemachandran, police detained two suspects who reportedly helped bury his body. A joint team from Kerala and Tamil Nadu Police conducted a search operation based on their leads and found the remains buried in a cold forested region — conditions that helped preserve the body.

The investigation also points to a third suspect, identified as Naushad, who is currently believed to be abroad. Authorities are preparing to issue a lookout notice and pursue his extradition.

“The digging team first noticed the back of the body, then the legs,” said a member involved in the recovery operation. “Given the climate, decomposition was minimal.”

Officials from both states were present during the exhumation, and the body will now undergo a DNA test for final confirmation. Further developments in the case are expected as the investigation continues.